It has come to our attention that the City of Harrisonburg is considering modifying its zoning laws/rules with regard to Data Centers within our city.

We oppose unregulated data center development in Harrisonburg, and support the efforts to reduce the zones where data centers can be built, and support removing the by-right development of data centers in all zones.

The Sierra Club Shenandoah Group is deeply concerned about proposals that make it easier for Data Centers to expand. Based on conversations with our colleagues in northern Virginia, which has the largest concentration of data centers in the world, we are concerned about potential impacts on air quality, water use, public health, noise, and especially impacts on our city’s climate goals.

Please find attached a document outlining “Policies needed to address land use, energy, and carbon emission impacts of data center development." These policies, if adopted with regard to data center development, could enable our city to reap the economic benefits of data center development while mitigating the environmental and social consequences of poorly considered development.

Chief among our concerns is the vast amount of energy required to run data centers, which is only intensifying with the growth of AI. This increase in energy demand could threaten our city’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction goals, hinder our ability to transition equitably to a clean electric grid, and raise electric costs for residential and commercial customers. 

According to the city’s most recent greenhouse gas inventory (2022), the commercial sector is already the largest contributor to Harrisonburg’s GHG emissions. City decision makers should consider the impact of data center development on our ability to achieve the “community goals” for GHG emission reductions and an equitable transition to clean energy as are articulated in the city’s Environmental Action Plan.

Data center development should not be approved unless there are clear rules, regulations, or enforceable commitments from developers: to mitigate GHG emission by producing/supplying their own clean energy, that protect local communities from noise, visual and other disturbances, and ensure that there will be no adverse impact on local water quality and supplies.